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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000">
<DIV>Greetings!</DIV>
<DIV>I thought the following information should be shared with all on our
distribution list.</DIV>
<DIV>Let’s continue to build the Federation!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We care. We share. We grow. We make a difference<BR>Joe Ruffalo, President
<BR>National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey <BR>973 743
0075<BR>nfbnj1@verizon.net<BR><A
href="http://www.nfbnj.org">www.nfbnj.org</A></DIV>
<DIV>Your old car keys can be keys to literacy for the blind.<BR>Donate your
unwanted vehicle to us by clicking <BR>www.carshelpingtheblind.org <BR>or call
855 659 9314<BR></DIV>
<DIV>**</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV
style='FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri"; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline'>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt tahoma">
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> NFB President's Notebook - week of 08/15/2016</DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
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<DIV class=WordSection1>
<H1><A name=OLE_LINK9></A><A name=OLE_LINK7></A><A
name=OLE_LINK8></A>President’s Notebook<o:p></o:p></H1>
<H1>National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></H1>
<H1>Mark A. Riccobono<o:p></o:p></H1>
<H1><A
href="mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org">officeofthepresident@nfb.org</A><o:p></o:p></H1>
<H1>(410) 659-9314<o:p></o:p></H1>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Dear Fellow Federationists,<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>The shine of the National Federation of the Blind has never
been brighter. Our team of members and staff who participated in the 2016 Joint
General Assemblies of the World Blind Union and the International Council for
the Education of the Visually Impaired demonstrated the Federation spirit and
philosophy for eight days of meetings in Orlando. The blind of the world were
greeted with blind hosts who showed them around, gave spontaneous cane travel
lessons, and shared our empowering philosophy. From the logistics to the
presentations on the main and breakout stages, the Federation showed the best of
what we have built as a movement. Congratulations to Dr. Fred Schroeder who was
elected president of the World Blind Union and who will now serve for the next
four years in that office. <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>The work of the Federation continues as we move into the fall
convention season. I am looking forward to welcoming another leadership seminar
to our headquarters this weekend, and I anticipate a busy fall with travel to
conventions and new projects. In other words, the work of the Federation is as
active and forward looking as always.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Thank you for all you do.<o:p></o:p></P>
<H2><o:p></o:p> </H2>
<H2>News:<o:p></o:p></H2>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%">TIME Act
Developments:<BR>There have been some exciting developments regarding the TIME
Act (Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment Act) (H.R 188/S.
2001). Since our Washington Seminar in January 2016, both the Republican and
Democratic parties have endorsed our bill in their 2016 platforms. Therefore, we
should take this opportunity to follow up with our legislators and let them know
that their parties support this important initiative to repeal Section 14(c) of
the Fair Labor Standards Act that allows employers to pay disabled workers less
than the minimum wage. <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%">As you may
be aware, members of the US House of Representatives and Senate will soon be
returning to DC from their August recess. It is crucial that we send them emails
which let them know that their party endorsed the TIME Act in their platform and
request them to cosponsor the bill. Please copy Kimie Beverly at <A
href="mailto:KBeverly@nfb.org">KBeverly@nfb.org</A> on any email you send to
your senators’ or representative’s office so she can follow up with additional
information.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoListParagraph><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.25in">Thornberry Thank You
letters:<BR>We have had a tremendous response to our thank-you-letter writing
campaign to Representative Mack Thornberry, chairman of the House Committee on
Armed Services. He included our Space Available bill in the House version of the
National Defense Authorization Act which would allow all blind or otherwise
disabled medically discharged veterans to participate in the Space Available
program. Currently, only those injured on or after September 23, 1996, can
participate in this program that allows retirees and active duty military to
travel for free on military owned or operated aircraft. We have heard that
Congress is currently conferencing this portion of the National Defense
Authorization Act and we need to give Chairman Thornberry as much leverage as
possible. Please fill out the letter at <A
href="https://nfb.org/thank-you-thornberry">https://nfb.org/thank-you-thornberry</A>;
it will only take about two minutes. Then share the link on Facebook and
Twitter. <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.25in"><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.25in">A press release thanking Chairman
Thornberry has been issued. You can read the whole release at <A
href="https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-texas-commends-congressman-thornberry-support-veterans-disabilities">https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-texas-commends-congressman-thornberry-support-veterans-disabilities</A>.
<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoListParagraph><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.25in">Membership Cards:<BR>We’ve run
into a problem regarding our membership cards. We are out of stock in the
Independence Market. This is a good problem to have because it means that our
chapters are busy recruiting new members into the Federation. We will send out
an announcement once the cards are back in stock. Until then, let’s keep
building the Federation and filling out the <A
href="http://www.nfb.org/oaform">new member form.</A><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.25in"><o:p><FONT
size=3></FONT></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.25in">Also, remember that you can order
other materials through the Independence Market for your Meet the Blind Month
events. Now is the time to ramp up your planning and get the word out.
<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText><o:p><FONT size=3></FONT></o:p> </P>
<H2><SPAN
style='FONT-FAMILY: "Verdana","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </H2>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-FAMILY: "Verdana","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Mark A. Riccobono, President<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Baltimore, Maryland 21230<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Phone: (410) 659-9314<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Fax: (410) 659-5129<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Email: <A
href="mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org">officeofthepresident@nfb.org</A><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Twitter: @Riccobono and @NFB_Voice<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Web: <A title=blocked::http://www.nfb.org/
href="http://www.nfb.org/"><SPAN
style="COLOR: purple">www.nfb.org</SPAN></A><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT size=3></FONT></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is
not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between
blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not
what holds you back.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
size=3></FONT></o:p> </P></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>